"Bette Davis Eyes" is a song written and composed by Donna Weiss and Jackie DeShannon in 1974. It was recorded by DeShannon that year but made popular by Kim Carnes in 1981 when it spent nine non-consecutive weeks at the top of the U.S. Billboard Hot 100. It won the 1981 Grammy Awards for Song of the Year and Record of the Year.[6] The music video was directed by Australian film director Russell Mulcahy.[7]
| "Bette Davis Eyes" | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Single by Kim Carnes | ||||
| from the album Mistaken Identity | ||||
| B-side | "Miss You Tonite" | |||
| Released | March 1981 | |||
| Genre | ||||
| Length | 3:48 | |||
| Label | EMI America | |||
| Songwriter(s) | Donna Weiss · Jackie DeShannon | |||
| Producer(s) | Val Garay | |||
| Kim Carnes singles chronology | ||||
| ||||
| Music video | ||||
| "Bette Davis Eyes" on YouTube | ||||
| Audio sample | ||||
On the Billboard Hot 100, the song was No. 1 for five weeks, interrupted for just one week by "Stars on 45" before it returned to the top spot for another four weeks, becoming Billboard's biggest hit of the year.[8] The single also reached No. 5 on Billboard's Top Tracks charts and No. 26 on the Dance charts.[9] It reached No. 2 in Canada for twelve consecutive weeks, and was 1981's No. 2 hit in that country, after "Stars on 45".[10][11] It peaked at No. 10 in the United Kingdom,[12] to date Carnes's only Top 40 hit in that country. Additionally, it ranked No. 12 on Billboard's list of the top 100 songs in the first 50 years of the magazine's Hot 100.[6] "Bette Davis Eyes" was a No. 1 hit in 21 countries.[13]
Background
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"Bette Davis Eyes" was written in 1974 by Donna Weiss and Jackie DeShannon, the latter of whom recorded the song that same year for her album New Arrangement.[14] In this original incarnation, the track is performed in an "R&B lite" arrangement,[1] featuring a prominent, uptempo piano part, as well as flourishes of pedal steel guitar and horns.[15] However, it was not until March 1981,[16] when Carnes recorded her version of the song in a radically different, synthesizer-based arrangement, that it became a commercial success.
According to producer Val Garay, the original demo of the tune that was brought to him sounded like "a Leon Russell track, with this beer-barrel polka piano part."[a] Keyboardist Bill Cuomo, using the Sequential Circuits Prophet-5 synthesizer, came up with the signature riff which defines Carnes's version. The recording was done in a single take.[18]
Actress Bette Davis was 73 when Carnes's version became a hit. She wrote letters to Carnes, Weiss, and DeShannon to thank them for making her "a part of modern times", and said that her grandson now looked up to her. After their Grammy wins, Davis sent them roses, and accepted the gift of gold and platinum records from Carnes, and hanging them on her wall.[13][19]
Critical reception
Record World called it a "haunting pop-rocker" and said that Carnes's "earthy vocal rasp and guitar chimes are unforgettable."[21]
| Publication | List | Rank | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|
| Billboard | The 500 Best Pop Songs | 425 | [22] |
| Rolling Stone | The 200 Best Songs of the 1980s | 137 | [23] |
Track listing and formats
Charts
Year-end charts
| Chart (1981) | Rank |
|---|---|
| Australia (Kent Music Report)[49][50] | 6 |
| Austria (Ö3 Austria Top 40)[51] | 16 |
| Belgium (Ultratop 50 Flanders)[52] | 37 |
| Canada Top Singles (RPM)[11] | 2 |
| France (IFOP)[53] | 4 |
| New Zealand (Recorded Music NZ)[54] | 6 |
| South Africa (Springbok Radio)[55] | 2 |
| Switzerland (Schweizer Hitparade)[56] | 2 |
| US Billboard Hot 100[8] | 1 |
| US Cash Box[57] | 2 |
| West Germany (Official German Charts)[58] | 10 |
All-time charts
| Chart | Rank |
|---|---|
| US Billboard Hot 100[59] | 17 |
Certifications
| Region | Certification | Certified units/sales |
|---|---|---|
| Brazil (Pro-Música Brasil)[60] | Gold | 100,000[60] |
| Canada (Music Canada)[61] | Platinum | 100,000^ |
| Denmark (IFPI Danmark)[62] | Gold | 45,000‡ |
| France (SNEP)[63] | Platinum | 1,000,000* |
| Italy (FIMI)[64] sales since 2009 | Platinum | 100,000‡ |
| United Kingdom (BPI)[65] 2004 release | Platinum | 600,000‡ |
| United States (RIAA)[66] | Gold | 1,000,000^ |
* Sales figures based on certification alone. | ||
Gwyneth Paltrow version
American actress Gwyneth Paltrow covered "Bette Davis Eyes" for the soundtrack for the 2000 road trip film Duets.[67] This version was released as a single in Australia on March 26, 2001,[68] debuting and peaking at No. 3 on the ARIA Singles Chart on April 8, 2001.[69] It spent nine weeks in the top 10,[69] and came in at No. 35 on Australia's year-end chart for 2001. It earned a platinum certification from the Australian Recording Industry Association for shipping more than 70,000 units.[70]
Taylor Swift live performance
American singer Taylor Swift included a live performance cover of "Bette Davis Eyes" on her 2011 "Speak Now World Tour" album.[71]
See also
- List of number-one singles in Australia during the 1980s
- List of Top 25 singles for 1981 in Australia
- List of Billboard Hot 100 number-one singles of 1981
- Billboard Year-End Hot 100 singles of 1981
- List of Cash Box Top 100 number-one singles of 1981
- List of number-one singles of 1981 (France)
- List of number-one hits of 1981 (Germany)
- List of number-one hits (Italy)
- List of number-one songs in Norway
- List of number-one singles of 1981 (Spain)
- List of number-one singles of the 1980s (Switzerland)